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Publications, robust and resilient future communication networks, publication date, september 2024, manuscript submission deadline, 20 november 2023, call for papers.

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Robustness and resilience of communication infrastructures is a top priority for network operators. To ensure reliable network operation, new design and management techniques must be constantly devised to respond to the rapid network and service evolution. As a recent and relevant example, deployments of 5G communication networks will soon enter the next phases, during which the network infrastructure will require upgrades to support new ultra-reliable services with availability of up to 9 nines. Similarly, disaster resiliency in communication networks is now attracting the attention of media, governments, and industry as never before (consider, e.g., the worldwide network traffic deluge to support remote working during the recent COVID19-pandemic!). Fortunately, several new technical directions can be leveraged to provide new solutions for network reliability that includes increased network reconfigurability enabled by softwarized networks (e.g., Software Defined Networking (SDN)); integration/convergence of multiple technologies (optical, wireless, satellite, datacenter networks); enhanced forms of data/service replication that is supported by  edge computing; network slicing used to carve highly-reliable logical partitions of network, computing and storage resources. These, and many other technological transformations can enable next-generation high-reliability networks.  

Given the strong interest in both industry and academia towards reliability of telecom networks and cloud-computing infrastructures, we organize this fourth IEEE Transactions on Network and Service Management (TNSM) Special Issue on Robust and Resilient Future Communication  Networks (the first issue published in September 2021). This Special Issue aims at the timely publication of recent and innovative research results on this important topic. This Special Issue is organized in collaboration with the International Conference on the Design of Reliable Communication Networks (DRCN), a well-established forum for scientists from both industry and academy who have interest in reliability and availability of communication networks. 

We welcome submissions addressing important challenges (see the list of topics below) and presenting novel research or experimentation results. Survey papers that offer a perspective on related work and identify key challenges for future research will be considered as well. We look forward to your submissions!  

About the Special Issue 

Topics of interest for this special issue, include, but are not limited to the following: 

• Resilience in 5G-advanced and 6G networks and services 
• Survivable network of networks
• Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC) 
• Design of resilient and reliable IoT systems 
• Resilience in Software-Defined Networking (SDN) 
• Secure and reliable quantum communication 
• Resilient communication networks for the smart grid 
• Reliable Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) architectures
• Resilience in satellite communication networks 
• Airspace and NTN
• High-availability for Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) infrastructures 
• Reliability issues in softwarized networks 
• Dependability and reliability of cloud/wireless/cellular/mobile/datacenter networks 
• Resilience in Free-Space Optics/Visible Light Communications (FSO/VLC) communications 
• Survivability and traffic engineering for optical, IP and multi-layer/multi-domain networks 
• Recovery of overlay and peer-to-peer networks 
• Risk and reliability in the Internet and enterprise networks 
• Communication reliability for smart city applications and intelligent transport systems 
• Methods for survivable network and systems design, analysis and operation 
• Planning and optimization of reliable networks, systems, and services 
• Machine learning for reliable design of communication networks 
• Reliable Federated Learning 
• Trust and explainability of Machine Learning solutions for reliable networking 
• Reliable autonomous driving and intelligent transportation 
• Security of cyber physical and networked control systems 
• Reliable design of networked control systems 
• Data analytics and Machine Learning for fault diagnosis 
• Network coding techniques to improve resilience 
• Quality of Experience (QoE) and network service availability assessments 
• Resilience of networked critical infrastructures 
• Network robustness to natural disasters 
• Robust network design for hostile environments 
• Integration of satellite services for critical situations
• Network dependability and energy consumption trade-offs 
• Network resilience combined with economics and commercial issues 
• Public policy issues for survivability and resilience
• Supply chain reliability 
• Reliability aspects in blockchains and distributed ledgers 
• Technological sovereignty 
• Deterministic and time sensitive networking 
• Resilience towards business continuity
• Reliability requirements and metrics for users, businesses, and the society 
• Robust network design for hostile and/or pandemic environments
• Security and safety issues in networks and their relation to survivability
• Standardization of network resilience and reliability
• Design and test of reliable operational technology (OT) networks
• Network reconfiguration and reinforcement

Submission Format

Papers will be evaluated based on their originality, presentation, relevance and contribution to the field of design and management of reliable communication networks, as well as their overall quality and suitability for the special issue. The submitted papers must be written in a good English and describe original research which has not been published nor currently under review by other journals or conferences. Previously published conference papers should be clearly identified by the authors at the initial submission stage and an explanation should be provided of how such papers have been extended in order to be considered for this special issue.

View the author guidelines for the preparation of manuscript (including number of pages and potential extra page costs.)

For more information, please contact Massimo Tornatore .

Submission Guidelines

All manuscripts and any supplementary material should be submitted through Manuscript Central . Authors must indicate in the submission system that their manuscript is intended for the “Robust and Resilient Future Communication Networks” special issue.

Important Dates

Paper Submission Date:  20 November 2023 (Deadline Extended) First Round Decision Notification:  25 February 2024 Second Round Decision Notification*:  15 June 2024 Publication Date**:  1 September 2024

(*Second round decision notification can be subject to changes on an article-by-article case) (** Online published version will be available in IEEE Xplore with the final DOI immediately after the camera ready version has been submitted) 

Guest Editors

Massimo Tornatore (Lead) Politecnico di Milano, Italy

Teresa Gomes (Co-Lead) University of Coimbra, Portugal

Carmen Mas-Machuca University of the Bundeswehr Munich (UniBW), Germany

Eiji Oki Kyoto University, Japan 

Chadi Assi Concordia University, Canada

Dominic Schupke Airbus, Germany